IRISH RED AND WHITE SETTER CLUB OF CANADABREED POINTS SEMINARJUNE 3RD 2012THE IRISH RED AND WHITE SETTERPrinted below is the Canadian Standard for this breed. Interspersed in italics is the “Blueprint of the Breed”. This is not intended to be a replacement but should be read alongside and used as an enhancement to the official Breed StandardORIGIN AND PURPOSEThe Irish Setter probably came to its own at the end of the 17th century. It is not well known outside of Ireland that there are two breeds of Irish Setter, but it is fairly certain that the Red and White Setter is the older of the two and that judicious selective breeding evolved the solid red colour.When the Irish Setters came to the show benches, just past the middle of the 19th century, there was a good deal of confusion about their proper colour. By the end of the 19th century the Red Setter had virtually eclipsed the Red and White which became so rare that they were thought to be extinct. During the 1920’s efforts were made to revive the breed.By 1944 the breed had re-established itself well enough to have a club of its own and today it can be seen in healthy numbers at Irish shows. To hunters it has been considered slightly superior to the Red Setter because of its calmer temperament and because it can be more easily seen in the autumn countryside.The Irish Red and White Setter is bred primarily for the field. All judges must be encouraged to judge the dogs from the working standpoint.The work of a setter is physically taxing and its conformation should be such as to provide the musculature, mobility and stamina to be a “running” dog - strong and with substance yet being athletic and keen to hunt. The dog also needs the intelligence to understand and co-operate with its handler, but rather than being a slave to obedience, a measure of independent thought is necessary as the dog is out there on its own.To transpose these qualities to the confines of the show ring is no easy task for a judge but knowing the origin and purpose of the breed gives reason to the conformation points explored herein.GENERAL APPEARANCEStrong and powerful, well balanced and proportioned; without lumber; athletic rather than racy.It is immediately apparent that this is a variety of setter, of medium height and with general setter proportions. The length from point of shoulder to point of buttock being a little more than height at the withers. He is solid and strong with substance, but not overweight.Having clean lines and being statuesque rather than elegant.Broader all through than the Irish Setter yet having quality and style.TEMPERAMENTAristocratic, keen and intelligent. Displays a kindly, friendly attitude, behind which should be discernible determination, courage and high spirit.Biddable, good natured and affectionate, he is generally willing to please. A good worker who thinks for himself. Friendly and kind to all, although a little apprehension in pups may be forgiven, any display of aggression is not acceptable behavior and not to be tolerated. SIZEDesirable height at withers:Dogs:24 ½ inches to 26 inches  ( 62 to 66 cm.)Bitches:22 ½ inches to 24 inches  ( 57 to 61 cm.) COAT AND COLOURHair: Long, silky, fine hair called “feathering” on the back of the fore and hind legs and on the outer ear flap, also a reasonable amount on the flank, extending on to the chest forming a fringe. All feathering straight, flat and not over profuse. The tail should be well feathered. On the head, front of legs and other parts of the body the hair should be short, flat and free from curl but a slight wave is permissible.Colour:Base colour white with solid red patches (clear islands of red colour); both colours should show the maximum of life and bloom; flecking but not roaning permitted around the face and feet and up the foreleg as far as the elbow and up the hind leg as far as the hock;Roaning, flecking, and mottling that is not excessive on any other part of the body is permissible but not desirable.Clearly parti-colour, the base colour is a lustrous pearl white, not a stark flat white. The red is that of a freshly opened chestnut tending towards neither orange nor liver. Ideally the ears and around both eyes should be red with a white blaze between the eyes and at least one red patch on the body.HEADHead: broad; in proportion to the body. Skull: domed without showing occipital protuberance as in the Irish Red Setter.Stop: good stop. Muzzle: clean and square.The head is broad when compared to the Irish Red Setter, but only so broad as to be in proportion to the body. There is a definite stop, but not so deep as to harden the expression, with a well defined median furrow but again not too deep. The skull is gently domed but in no way apple headed, without a prominent occipital protuberance. Although this can be felt it should not be visible in the adult. The distance over the skull from ear to ear measures a little more than the length from occiput to stop. The skull and muzzle are of approximately equal length and the planes are parallel. The muzzle is clean and fairly square with the flews neither pendulous nor tucked up making the underline of the jaw almost parallel to the topline of the muzzle. The nostrils are wide.Teeth: regular; scissors bite ideal; level bite acceptable.The jaws are strong, the lower jaw (the mandible) being slightly narrower and shorter than the upper jaw (the maxilla). The incisors meet in a scissor bite (i.e. the upper incisors fit closely over the lower incisors). The lower canines sit neatly between the upper lateral incisors and the upper canines and the premolars form a “pinking shears” effect, the first premolars in the lower jaw being the most forward. Complete dentition is desirable, this being:Eyes: dark hazel or dark brown; round; with slight prominence and without haw.The eyes are round not almond shaped with very slight prominence but not “beady”, set level under raised brows. The eyelids are close fitting showing no haw, with good pigmentation. Eye colour ranges from hazel to dark brown and should blend with the coat colour. The expression is one of kindness and intelligence with a hint of mischief. Ears: set level with the eyes and well back, lying close to the head.Set well back and level with the eyes not below. When relaxed lying close to the head. They are fine in texture and rounded at the tips. When pulled forward reaching about half way along the muzzle.NECKModerately long, very muscular, but not too thick, slightly arched, free from all tendency to throatiness.Moderately long in proportion to the overall balance of the dog. Strong and muscular, but not so thick as to be “bull necked”.  Slightly crested giving a pleasing arch, but not “swan like”. Fitting smoothly into the withers without a break in the topline. Free from throatiness i.e. no excess of loose skin at the throat. FOREQUARTERSForelegs straight and sinewy, well boned. Shoulders well laid back. Elbows free, turning neither in nor out. Pasterns strong.The shoulder blades are of good length, sloping well back and inwards, being fairly close together at the withers, i.e. well laid back. The upper arm is of approximately equal length to the blade ( both measurements taken from the foremost point of the humerous) and angled backwards to the same degree as the blade. The forelegs are thus well under the body and the good length of shoulder blade and upper arm allow the elbow to sit just below  the line of the brisket i.e. elbows well let down.The prosternum (breast bone) is the foremost point of the body and the line to the brisket does not cut away sharply but curves gradually under giving a good forechest.The forelegs are strongly boned, oval in shape (being wider when viewed from the side), well muscled and sinewy, straight and parallel, the feet being the same distance apart as the elbows. The pasterns are short and strong, sloping slightly to the foot. BODYStrong and muscular. Back very muscular and powerful. Chest deep with well sprung ribs.Strong muscular and compact. The chest deep enough to reach the level of the elbows but not below, and wide enough in front to allow a large hand to fit easily between the legs. The ribcage long, reaching well back, at its deepest just behind the elbow, curving gently upwards towards the loin without excessive cut up. The ribs well sprung but not excessively so, growing gradually wider from behind the shoulders to reach the widest point at about half the length and half the depth, and tapering off to give an obvious “waist”. The loin is short and strong. The back therefore divided as approximately 2/3rd  ribs to 1/3rd loin. The back from behind the withers to the croup should be level not sloping. The croup should be well rounded and slope slightly downwards to the tailset. HINDQUARTERSWide and powerful; hind legs from hip to hock long and muscular, from hock to heel of moderate length and strong. Stifle well bent. Hock well let down, turning neither in nor out. Feet close knit.From the “waist” of the loin the hindquarters flair to approximately the width of the ribcage when viewed from above. The buttocks are well rounded and muscular, the upper thighs wide and powerful and the second thighs well developed. The legs from hip to hock are long giving scope for efficient extension, and the rear pastern ( commonly, but incorrectly, referred to as the hock) strong and perpendicular to the ground. The stifle and hock joints to be well angulated.The feet should be neat and well rounded with arched  toes and thick well cushioned pads, with good feathering between the toes. Nails should be short and strong.TAILModerate length, not reaching below the hock, strong at root, tapering to a fine point; no appearance of ropiness and carried level with or below or below the back.The tail is strong, straight and purposeful. It is well feathered, the feathering being longest near the root gradually shortening towards the tip. Carried level with the back or below in a lively manner.GAITWhen moving at a trot, the dog will have a tendency to converge towards a line representing the centre of gravity, called single-tracking. Very lively, graceful and efficient. Head held high, hindquarters drive smoothly and with great power. Forelegs reach well ahead and remain low. No crossing or weaving of legs, front or back.When viewed in profile the forelegs reach well forward  without excessive lift. The hind legs also reach well forward and then extend fully backwards, thus giving great drive. The head is held high and the back remains level. The movement is smooth, free and easy giving the impression of a well designed, well oiled machine. When viewed from the front or behind the legs converge towards the midline and the faster the gait the greater the convergence FAULTSAny departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.NB: Male animals should have 2 apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum

IRISH RED AND WHITE SETTER CLUB OF CANADABREED POINTS SEMINARJUNE 3RD 2012THE IRISH RED AND WHITE SETTERPrinted below is the Canadian Standard for this breed. Interspersed in italics is the “Blueprint of the Breed”. This is not intended to be a replacement but should be read alongside and used as an enhancement to the official Breed StandardORIGIN AND PURPOSEThe Irish Setter probably came to its own at the end of the 17th century. It is not well known outside of Ireland that there are two breeds of Irish Setter, but it is fairly certain that the Red and White Setter is the older of the two and that judicious selective breeding evolved the solid red colour.When the Irish Setters came to the show benches, just past the middle of the 19th century, there was a good deal of confusion about their proper colour. By the end of the 19th century the Red Setter had virtually eclipsed the Red and White which became so rare that they were thought to be extinct. During the 1920’s efforts were made to revive the breed.By 1944 the breed had re-established itself well enough to have a club of its own and today it can be seen in healthy numbers at Irish shows. To hunters it has been considered slightly superior to the Red Setter because of its calmer temperament and because it can be more easily seen in the autumn countryside.The Irish Red and White Setter is bred primarily for the field. All judges must be encouraged to judge the dogs from the working standpoint.The work of a setter is physically taxing and its conformation should be such as to provide the musculature, mobility and stamina to be a “running” dog - strong and with substance yet being athletic and keen to hunt. The dog also needs the intelligence to understand and co-operate with its handler, but rather than being a slave to obedience, a measure of independent thought is necessary as the dog is out there on its own.To transpose these qualities to the confines of the show ring is no easy task for a judge but knowing the origin and purpose of the breed gives reason to the conformation points explored herein.GENERAL APPEARANCEStrong and powerful, well balanced and proportioned; without lumber; athletic rather than racy.It is immediately apparent that this is a variety of setter, of medium height and with general setter proportions. The length from point of shoulder to point of buttock being a little more than height at the withers. He is solid and strong with substance, but not overweight.Having clean lines and being statuesque rather than elegant.Broader all through than the Irish Setter yet having quality and style.TEMPERAMENTAristocratic, keen and intelligent. Displays a kindly, friendly attitude, behind which should be discernible determination, courage and high spirit.Biddable, good natured and affectionate, he is generally willing to please. A good worker who thinks for himself. Friendly and kind to all, although a little apprehension in pups may be forgiven, any display of aggression is not acceptable behavior and not to be tolerated. SIZEDesirable height at withers:Dogs:24 ½ inches to 26 inches  ( 62 to 66 cm.)Bitches:22 ½ inches to 24 inches  ( 57 to 61 cm.) COAT AND COLOURHair: Long, silky, fine hair called “feathering” on the back of the fore and hind legs and on the outer ear flap, also a reasonable amount on the flank, extending on to the chest forming a fringe. All feathering straight, flat and not over profuse. The tail should be well feathered. On the head, front of legs and other parts of the body the hair should be short, flat and free from curl but a slight wave is permissible.Colour:Base colour white with solid red patches (clear islands of red colour); both colours should show the maximum of life and bloom; flecking but not roaning permitted around the face and feet and up the foreleg as far as the elbow and up the hind leg as far as the hock;Roaning, flecking, and mottling that is not excessive on any other part of the body is permissible but not desirable.Clearly parti-colour, the base colour is a lustrous pearl white, not a stark flat white. The red is that of a freshly opened chestnut tending towards neither orange nor liver. Ideally the ears and around both eyes should be red with a white blaze between the eyes and at least one red patch on the body.HEADHead: broad; in proportion to the body. Skull: domed without showing occipital protuberance as in the Irish Red Setter.Stop: good stop. Muzzle: clean and square.The head is broad when compared to the Irish Red Setter, but only so broad as to be in proportion to the body. There is a definite stop, but not so deep as to harden the expression, with a well defined median furrow but again not too deep. The skull is gently domed but in no way apple headed, without a prominent occipital protuberance. Although this can be felt it should not be visible in the adult. The distance over the skull from ear to ear measures a little more than the length from occiput to stop. The skull and muzzle are of approximately equal length and the planes are parallel. The muzzle is clean and fairly square with the flews neither pendulous nor tucked up making the underline of the jaw almost parallel to the topline of the muzzle. The nostrils are wide.Teeth: regular; scissors bite ideal; level bite acceptable.The jaws are strong, the lower jaw (the mandible) being slightly narrower and shorter than the upper jaw (the maxilla). The incisors meet in a scissor bite (i.e. the upper incisors fit closely over the lower incisors). The lower canines sit neatly between the upper lateral incisors and the upper canines and the premolars form a “pinking shears” effect, the first premolars in the lower jaw being the most forward. Complete dentition is desirable, this being:Eyes: dark hazel or dark brown; round; with slight prominence and without haw.The eyes are round not almond shaped with very slight prominence but not “beady”, set level under raised brows. The eyelids are close fitting showing no haw, with good pigmentation. Eye colour ranges from hazel to dark brown and should blend with the coat colour. The expression is one of kindness and intelligence with a hint of mischief. Ears: set level with the eyes and well back, lying close to the head.Set well back and level with the eyes not below. When relaxed lying close to the head. They are fine in texture and rounded at the tips. When pulled forward reaching about half way along the muzzle.NECKModerately long, very muscular, but not too thick, slightly arched, free from all tendency to throatiness.Moderately long in proportion to the overall balance of the dog. Strong and muscular, but not so thick as to be “bull necked”.  Slightly crested giving a pleasing arch, but not “swan like”. Fitting smoothly into the withers without a break in the topline. Free from throatiness i.e. no excess of loose skin at the throat. FOREQUARTERSForelegs straight and sinewy, well boned. Shoulders well laid back. Elbows free, turning neither in nor out. Pasterns strong.The shoulder blades are of good length, sloping well back and inwards, being fairly close together at the withers, i.e. well laid back. The upper arm is of approximately equal length to the blade ( both measurements taken from the foremost point of the humerous) and angled backwards to the same degree as the blade. The forelegs are thus well under the body and the good length of shoulder blade and upper arm allow the elbow to sit just below  the line of the brisket i.e. elbows well let down.The prosternum (breast bone) is the foremost point of the body and the line to the brisket does not cut away sharply but curves gradually under giving a good forechest.The forelegs are strongly boned, oval in shape (being wider when viewed from the side), well muscled and sinewy, straight and parallel, the feet being the same distance apart as the elbows. The pasterns are short and strong, sloping slightly to the foot. BODYStrong and muscular. Back very muscular and powerful. Chest deep with well sprung ribs.Strong muscular and compact. The chest deep enough to reach the level of the elbows but not below, and wide enough in front to allow a large hand to fit easily between the legs. The ribcage long, reaching well back, at its deepest just behind the elbow, curving gently upwards towards the loin without excessive cut up. The ribs well sprung but not excessively so, growing gradually wider from behind the shoulders to reach the widest point at about half the length and half the depth, and tapering off to give an obvious “waist”. The loin is short and strong. The back therefore divided as approximately 2/3rd  ribs to 1/3rd loin. The back from behind the withers to the croup should be level not sloping. The croup should be well rounded and slope slightly downwards to the tailset. HINDQUARTERSWide and powerful; hind legs from hip to hock long and muscular, from hock to heel of moderate length and strong. Stifle well bent. Hock well let down, turning neither in nor out. Feet close knit.From the “waist” of the loin the hindquarters flair to approximately the width of the ribcage when viewed from above. The buttocks are well rounded and muscular, the upper thighs wide and powerful and the second thighs well developed. The legs from hip to hock are long giving scope for efficient extension, and the rear pastern ( commonly, but incorrectly, referred to as the hock) strong and perpendicular to the ground. The stifle and hock joints to be well angulated.The feet should be neat and well rounded with arched  toes and thick well cushioned pads, with good feathering between the toes. Nails should be short and strong.TAILModerate length, not reaching below the hock, strong at root, tapering to a fine point; no appearance of ropiness and carried level with or below or below the back.The tail is strong, straight and purposeful. It is well feathered, the feathering being longest near the root gradually shortening towards the tip. Carried level with the back or below in a lively manner.GAITWhen moving at a trot, the dog will have a tendency to converge towards a line representing the centre of gravity, called single-tracking. Very lively, graceful and efficient. Head held high, hindquarters drive smoothly and with great power. Forelegs reach well ahead and remain low. No crossing or weaving of legs, front or back.When viewed in profile the forelegs reach well forward  without excessive lift. The hind legs also reach well forward and then extend fully backwards, thus giving great drive. The head is held high and the back remains level. The movement is smooth, free and easy giving the impression of a well designed, well oiled machine. When viewed from the front or behind the legs converge towards the midline and the faster the gait the greater the convergence FAULTSAny departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.NB: Male animals should have 2 apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum